A related but distinct point is that the disvalue of anonymous rumours is in part a product of how people react to them. Making unfounded accusations is only harmful to the extent that people believe them uncritically. There’s always some tension there but we do IMO collectively have some responsibility to react to rumours responsibly, as well as posting them responsibly.
I’d love it if it could include something on the disvalue of rumours too? (My inside view is that I’d like to see a lot less gossip, rumours etc in EA. I may be biased by substantial personal costs that I and friends have experienced from false rumours, but I also think that people positively enjoy gossip and exaggerating gossip for a better story and so we generally want to be pushing back on that usually net-harmful incentive.)
Something about the value of rumours and the whisper network
A related but distinct point is that the disvalue of anonymous rumours is in part a product of how people react to them. Making unfounded accusations is only harmful to the extent that people believe them uncritically. There’s always some tension there but we do IMO collectively have some responsibility to react to rumours responsibly, as well as posting them responsibly.
I’d love it if it could include something on the disvalue of rumours too? (My inside view is that I’d like to see a lot less gossip, rumours etc in EA. I may be biased by substantial personal costs that I and friends have experienced from false rumours, but I also think that people positively enjoy gossip and exaggerating gossip for a better story and so we generally want to be pushing back on that usually net-harmful incentive.)
I have a doc written on this that I wanted to make a forum post out of but haven’t gotten to—happen to share.
I enjoy a lot that this document will be shared in private. Great meta comment.